The use of blow-molding as a method for manufacturing various sorts of articles is generally well known. Typically, this process involves the use of a mold consisting of two separate halves or portions having cavities of particularly desired shapes and sizes. Usually, one extrudes a large-diameter, sealed tube of molten material (commonly referred to as a “parison”), places the tube between the mold halves, and closes the mold around the tube. Fluid pressure is then introduced into the tube, forcing the molten tube against the walls of the cavities, conforming the tube to the shape thereof. The pressure is maintained until the molten material cools and solidifies. The pressure is then released, the mold halves are pulled apart, and the hardened article is ejected therefrom.
Many types of articles are manufactured in this manner in order to produce a double wall body. By producing an article in this manner, one is able to easily create an article that has two, hard plastic walls with a buffering space between them, thereby resulting in a body with a multitude of desirable physical characteristics, such as strength, rigidity, scuff resistance, and impact absorption, but that is also relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Because blow molding is a fairly simple way of producing a double wall article which is both inexpensive and lightweight, yet also strong and durable, it is not uncommon to use this method for manufacturing various types of housings and cases for machinery, tools, and industrial applications.
The blow molding of various types of cases has been a proven commercial process for many years. Blow-molded carrying cases are often used to compartmentalize power tools with accessories or multi-component instrument kits. These blow-molded cases have the advantage of being lighter weight than cases made of other materials, as the blow-molded designs are lighter than cases made of metals such as steel, titanium, copper, or wood and other heavy materials.
Along with being relatively lightweight, most blow-molded cases are integrally compartmented in their interiors to retain and position assortments of contents. Examples of such contents would be various power tools and tools used for day-to-day operations, such as a wrench set, screwdriver, washer, or nails.
In order to meet consumer demand, blow-molded carrying cases are mass produced and the efficient and cost effective production of these items is a goal for manufacturers. Various designs and improvements in these blow molded carrying cases provide for advantages, which can decrease manufacturing cost and increase sales, as the advantages provide for better and more user-friendly designs for consumers. In order to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the blow-molded tool cases, it is desirable to consolidate several tool kits, which combine multiple common accessories with one of multiple tools or instruments. This is typically achieved by providing an individual case that accommodates each individual instrument or tool, as well as the accessories dedicated to that instrument or tool. Other known tool cases are designed to accommodate a plurality of smaller accessories that are used with a particular tool type, such as drill bits, nails, sockets, screwdriver shanks and tips, bores, etc.
Several examples of such tool cases are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,600,640 and 7,225,923 to Hallee et al. disclose a tool case for storage of drill bits or similarly shaped tools. The case includes a top portion and a bottom portion hingedly connected to each other and forming a cavity. The case also includes a plurality of tool trays disposed within the case and removably attached to the top and bottom portions by snapping male protrusions located on each tray into corresponding female recesses located on an inner surface of the cavity.
US Patent Application No. 2004/0069668 to Finnigan similarly discloses a tool case with a plurality of tool trays fittable into inner compartments of the tool case. The tool trays accommodate a plurality of drill bits and are secured within the case by a plurality of lugs on the side walls on the inner compartments which cooperate with sockets in the wall portions of the tool trays.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,922 to Lee discloses a tool case with a plurality of removable trays, wherein each tray is adapted to accommodate a plurality of tool accessories. Each tray is releasably secured within the tool case by means of flanges positioned on the inner surface of the case, which engage with recesses at opposed ends of the tray, such that the number and/or configuration of the trays can be easily varies according to the type and/or number of tool accessories stored in the case.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,887,715 and 6,626,295 to Vasudeva disclose a tool case with a storage space which is accessed from the inside of the tool case. The storage space is fitted with various pre-assembled snap-in storage modules to provide the user with flexibility of storing various items in various ways. The case includes a rectangular opening within its inner surface, with interior walls projecting upwardly from the opening to define the storage space. The module is secured within the storage space by inserting two tabs projecting outwardly from the module into corresponding slits located within adjacent interior wall.
However, the above described prior art tool cases still suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, while these known tool cases are adapted to accommodate a plurality of tool accessories, they can typically only accommodate one particular type of a tool, thereby still requiring separate tool cases for each individual tool. Additionally, the prior art tool cases often have a complex structure requiring numerous components that can be easily misplaced by a consumer. Further, known tool cases typically include generalized pocketing since any compartment designed to hold more than one item requires space for the greatest dimension of the entire grouping of components. Such configuration generally fails to adequately retain components in their designated locations.
What is desired, therefore, is a tool kit which is easy and inexpensive to produce relative to known designs and which includes a plurality of adapters to accommodate a plurality of tools of different sizes and corresponding tool accessories. It is also desirable to provide a tool kit that minimizes the need for significant case interior redesign and/or alterations to hold each configuration of the kit and also reduces storage space by providing a single master tool case that can be stocked with a variety of adapters for later assembly as each individual configuration is needed. It is further desirable to provide a tool kit that is more economical and allows more flexibility to manufacturers by providing a master tool case with a plurality of adapters that accommodate different tool variations at a reasonable cost. It is yet further desirable to provide a tool kit that allows manufacturers to later design new adapters, or produce additional ones, as tools change or are added to the tool kits.